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Songkran : The water festival |
 Hot ! It's really hot ! It would be best to soak in a cool bathtub , sipping a cup of cool drink or going on holiday in search of sun,sand and sea . However, aren't you boring with these ? If yes, why don't come with us. We will make your summer a memorable time.
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Hot season has arrived, most of people usually do not like it because it is so hot that they perspire a lot in the day and can hardly sleep at night. In addition, many are always in bad mood or may have a fever and sunlight can cause of skin problem.
However, I believe that summer is the time of year many yearn for. It's not only the long vacation, but is also the time to show your pale skin with new collection of swimming suit. Moreover, It is the greatest time to have an ice cream and cool drink.
Well, aren't you boring with those? If yes, why don't come with us. We will make your summer a memorable time.
Have you ever heard of Songkran Festival ? I know you know. But, Songkran is not only a day to splash water, it is one of the most important feasts that has been performed not only in Thailand but also in other countries (Laos, Cambodia, etc.) for a long time. So, let's come with us to see why it is important and what we should do on this festival .
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The word Songkran is derived from the Sansakrit language, means to pass or to move into. In this context, the meaning implies to the passing and the moving of the sun, the moon and the other planets into one of the zodiacal orbit. And the Grand Songkran Festival which falls on the Aries indicates the new era of the Thai New Year.
The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation. Until 1889 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand ; thereafter 1 April was used until 1941 .1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year or Songkran has been a national holiday since then. It is now fixed on 13 April every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on 13 April is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, 14 April is Wan Nao which is the day after and 15 April is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.
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Normally, we usually called the 13thApril as Maha Songkran Day. It is the first day of the new year celebrations, when the sun moves from Pisces into Aries, and when the lengths of the day and night are equal.
The 14th April is also known as "Wan Nao". The position of the sun is in Aries. In addition "Wan nao" is a day of preparation as family members gather to help prepare offerings for the monks for the next morning. The afternoon is spent carrying sand into the temples. This is considered to be an auspicious day when everyone sports a happy face and avoids uttering words deemed inauspicious or bad-tempered. Merit-making continues in the morning with offerings being made to Buddhist monks. The world-famous Songkran water-splashing festive fun takes place all day helping revellers to beat the summer heat. In the evening, people are going to build sand stupas and decorate them with colourful flags and flowers. The practice reflects an ancient belief that when an individuals walks away from a temple, particles of sand from the temple grounds are inadvertently carried away on one's shoes or sandals. The building of sand stupas for the temple is seen to be a practical way of replacing the sand lost and a merit-making act through which blessings are earned.
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Wan Thaloeng Sok is marked as the Thai New Year. It is a day traditionally spent making merit and performing charitable acts such as presenting offerings to the monks and listening to sermons, sprinkling holy water on Buddha images and monks, propping up the sacred Bo tree in the temple grounds, and calling on elders to receive their blessings.
A bathing ritual is observed in which lustral water is poured over respected elders in a gesture of respect and reverence. The seeking of their blessing or forgiveness for past wrong-doing is also implied. Additionally it is believed that through these acts of merit-making, loved ones, long-departed are endowed with blessings and good fortune. Last but not least comes the water-splashing ceremony and other festivities which is the most fun-filled part of the celebrations.
The religious ceremonies and folk rituals associated with Songkran are principally performed to bring good luck and prosperity. The rituals are also acts of gratitude and indebtedness undertaken in the memory of those who have passed on to another world.
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There is a legend behind the Songkran Festival. Before the Buddha era, there was an elder millionaire lived with his wife. Unfortunately, they hadn't got any heir . Next to the millionaire's mansion, there was a home of a drunk man . He always laugh at the millionaire that had no child .
He worshiped the sun god and the moon goddess to give him a child. Three years later, the millionaire still had no child. So,h e desired to worship the god of big banyan tree. Soon after, The Indra knew his wish. He made the millionaire's dream come true by giving him a son called "Thammabal". When Thammabal was 7 years old, he was very intelligent and able to recite scriptures in public. One day, a god named Kabilla Phrom who loved to bet learned about his fame. So, he the god wanted very much to test Thammabal Kumara's knowledge. The god descended to earth and posed three riddles to the boy, with a wager that if Thammabal Kumara could solve them, the god would give him his head. But if the boy failed to come up with the right answers within seven days, he would lose his head to the god.
The three riddles were:
1. Where did a person's aura exist in the morning.
2. Where was it at noon.
3. Where did it appear at night?
The boy pondered over these riddles for seven days. Yet he could not figure out the answers. Fortunately, while he was lying in despair under palm trees, he overheard a pair of male and female eagles laughing about they would soon feast on the body of a boy who would not be able to solve three riddles. During their conversation they disclosed the answer.
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On the day of judgment, Thammabal just repeated what he had heard from the eagles, which turned out to be the correct answers.
1. In the morning, a person's aura appeared on his face, so he washed it.
2. At noon, it was at his chest, so he wore perfume there.
3. And at night, his aura moved to his feet, so he bathed them.
As he had lost the bet, the god kept his word and cut off his own head. However, the head of Thao Kabilla Phrom was known to have some very strange qualities: If it should touch the ground, the earth would catch fire; if it should be left in the air, there would be no rain; and if it should be dropped into the sea, the sea would dry up.
To save the earth from any of these calamities, the god's seven daughters placed their father's head on a footed tray and carried it in a procession around Mount Sumeru before setting it in a cave at Mount Krailat with many offerings.
Every new year on Songkran Day, the god's seven daughters took turns bringing out the god's head and carried it in procession around Mount Sumeru. |
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One day before Songkran, family members gather to help clean home ,appliance and prepare offerings for the monks for the next morning. The following are things to do on Songkran Day.
1.In the morning, people go to the temple to make merits by offering food to monks and novices, observing the precepts, Five or Eight precepts and listening to the Dhamma talk.
2.Freeing birds or fish.
3.Donation is a way of merit making.
4. the afternoon, they perform the bathing ceremony of the Buddha images and monks and novices who live in a temple.
5. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival and and ask blessing from the elders. It is known as Water Splashing Feast. It might be said that the Songkran festival is the Respected Festival to the elders or the Family Day. In addition, there is also a ritual performed by monks to the relics of the dead in order to pass on merits to them. This ritual is known as "Bangsukun Atthi". It will be performed once during the Songkran festival on any of the three days. Thus, when the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.
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6.Splashing water is a symbol of Songkran festival. People begin with bathing a Buddha image. They first make an offering of flowers, candles, and incense sticks to the image. Then they will sprinkle lustral water signifying bathing onto the image as a gesture of respect. A procession of the Buddha image will be made prior to the bathing. After that people will also bathe a Buddhist monk, usually the chief monk, by pouring over him lustral water. The chief monk will change to the new robe offered to him by laymen, then he will give a sermon and bless people who attend these bathing rituals. Besides, people will also call on elders and respected ones to ask for their blessings. After that, people will "play" by splashing water at one another.
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1.The value for family
The value for family is to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents and to present them gifts including making merits to dedicate the result to their ancestors. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.
2. The value for community
The values for community is to provide the opportunity to create unity in the community such as to jointly acquire merits, to meet each other and to enjoy the entertaining events.
3. The value for society
The society value is to create concern upon environment with cooperation such as to clean houses, temples, public places and official buildings. |
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4. The value for religion
Thais value the religion by means of merits acquisition, offerings alms to monks, Dhamma Practice, listening to sermon and monks-bathing.
It is said that Songkran festival is a cultural value that relate past and present. Nowadays, the emphasis is placed on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists.
Although we can not recall everything from the past, we able to preserve this . Hope you enjoy with splashing water festival.
U&K
Sources :
www.thaiculturalcenter.com
http://archaeology.thai-archaeology.info
www.songkran.net
www.thailife.de |
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